Grave-protector.



' WITNESSES.-

PAIENTED JULY 24, 1906. G. ROTH.

GRAVE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-13. 1906.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.-

UNITED sTATEs PATENT orinon- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1906.

Application filed February 13, 1905. Serial No. 245,546.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ROTH, a citizen of the United States, residing in St. Sebald, in the county of Clayton and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grave-Protectors; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to grave guards or protectors; and the object is to provide a guard that shall not only retain the earth in the shape of a mound, but also to furnish convenient means for attaching the head stone or plate and provide space for permanent ornamentation and decoration or for the name and inscription; and a further ob ject is to so construct the side plates of the frame that they will be interchangeable and adapted to fit either side, so that they may ,be made in quantities by machines, and if one side piece becomes injured or broken it may be replaced by any other of the same pattern. Also the same similarity in construction obtains relative to the other parts, and the head-plates are constructed so that they will be part of or removably attached to any end piece.

It consist, essentially, in a rectangular frame, preferably made of four plates of galvanized iron, with some ornamentation around the top and over the top a cover with a head-plate removably attached to one end plate or forming the front end panel of the frame.

The following specification will give a more explicit explanation of the manner of construction, together with the mode of using the same, when read in connection with the drawings accompanying the same and forming a part hereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device complete. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through lines X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is another form of frame and head-plate and the cover removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view from the outside, showing a mode of uniting the panels together. Fig. 5 is a perspective view from the inside. showing the manner of uniting the plates. Fig. 6 is a perspective view from the outside of another mode of making the panels and uniting them together by a' one at the top of a fiat plate 12.

butt-joint. Fig. 7 is an inside view of a similar structure, but showing the panels united by a miter-joint.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in each of the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the side plates of the frame, 4 the rear end plate, and 5 the front plate.

ized iron, by bending them longitudinally near the top at about right angles, forming the ledge 6, as shown in Fig. 4. The ledge 6 may be separate and secured near the top to the frame, as shown in Fig. 6, and furnish not only a support for the cover presently to be described, but also strengthening the frame. Near the lower edge is also formed a rib 8 for the purpose of adding strength to the plate. The end pieces4 and 5 are formed in the same manner. Another manner of manufacturing the plates, whereby they will be more rigid, consists in using two angle-bars 10, of iron, one attached at the bottom and These plates 2 and end pieces 4 and 5 are preferably united together by bolting the ends of the plates to an angle-bar 14, placed on the outside by bolts 15. .To strengthen the corners, there may be another iron angle-bar 16- on These plates are made from sheet metal, preferably of galvanthe inside, as shown in Fig. 5, and the plates and outer and inner angle-bars bolted to gether by the same bolts 15.

On the top of the ledge 6 near the outer side of the plates 2 and 4 is set an ornamental border 20. The one shown has for its design a series of inverted-V-shaped spires or points 22, with one in four extending much higher than the others, and all may be provided with a cross or terminating at the top in a cross 24.

The headlate or gravestone consists of a frame 25, which may be conveniently constructed of a piece of angle-iron bent in the form of a tombstone, and in this is secured a plate or tombstone 26, upon which is the inscription and any ornaments that may be desired. If the head-plate be made of galvanized iron, then there maybe secured thereon a face-plate 28 of aluminiumor silver plate, upon which the inscription may be put. If the inscription be painted thereon, then there may be over the outside of this a glass to protect it from the weather. This head-plate is secured to the front plate 5 by stays 30, se

cured to the top of the plate 5 and to therim of tn e head-plate bybolts 9 passing through the stay near the top into the frame 25 and also by bolts 11 at the bottom into said frame and also into the end plate 5. This head-plate may also be integral with the end plate and the frame 25 attached after the grave-guard is set, if it be found necessary to strengthen the head-plate. Another style of head-plate and front end iece is shownin Fig. 3, which is constructed? preferably, of a sheet-metal plate '32 with its edges 34 rolled and upon it a plate 35 for inscription. Above the inscription-plate is an ornament 36, which consists of a flower 38 with vines 40 extending down on each side of the plate. This plate is rigidly secured to the front end at an angle and may be made and shi ed with the end plate as one piece. It wil e observed that these side plates are of the same width and same length and are interchangeable with each otherand are removably united to the end pieces, so that they can be manufactured and shipped as individual pieces and simply set up and united together where they are to be used, and, further, that the head-plate being made'of the propersize can be removably attached to any of these frames without any inconvenience, except loosening the bolts that bind it to the end plate 5, or they may be made out of the same piece as the front end plate 5 and placed in the frame and held by the bolts 15.

Over the to of the grave-guard is placed a plate 42, which rests upon the ledge 6 and extends over the whole of the grave, as shown in Fig. 1 and in section in Fig. 2. Upon this plate, which has a central raised portlon, Fig. 2, may be placed permanent ornamentations, or the name of the deceased may be engraved thereon and such other inscriptions as are desired, and thus take the place of the headplate or till such time as the head-plate is fin ished and placed in position.

Having now described my invention,'.what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A grave-protector consisting of distinct and interchangeable side plates, a foot-plate and a head-plate interchangeable with each other and distinct from the side plates, each of said plates having an inwardly-proj ecting ledge at their upper edge, angle-irons and bolts for removably uniting said plates into a quadrilateral frame, an upright metal frame removably attached to the ledge of the headplate, a tombstone in said upright frame, and a cover-plate to rest upon the ledges on the several plates, substantially as set forth.

2. A grave-protector consisting of distinct and interchangeable side plates, a foot-plate and a head-plate interchangeable with each other and distinct from the side plates, each on the several plates and provided with a central raised portion, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ROTH. Witnesses:

GEo. W. Ron, GEORGE H. OTCLOERFER. 

